Improvement in engine head-lights



J. 'RA'DLEY.

Locomotive Lamp. No. 55,904. Patented June 26, 1866.

a A IE! N. PETERS. Pboxvumn m hur, Wasllinglun. n. c.

UNITED STATES,

PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES HADLEY, NEW YORK, N. Y.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 55,904, dated June 26,1866.

To all whom it may concern: Be it known that I, JAMEs RADLEY, of thecity and county of New York, and State of New York, have invented a newand useful Improvement in the Construction of Lamps, especially intendedfor the lamps of locomo tive head-lights; and I do hereby declare thatthe following is a full and exact description The use of kerosene-oilfor illuminating pur-' poses is attended with great danger by reason ofits inflammable nature and the high temperature it sometimes attains inthe lamp, causing the soldering of the joints of the lamp to give way,thereby allowing the oil to escape, and which, being highly heated,immediately bursts into flame, destroying not only the whole head-light,but also all thatis combustible within its reach.

The nature of my invention consists in so constructing the lamp that itcannot be melted apart by any degree of heat to which it may besubjected while in use. either from the heat of the oil within it. or inconsequence of leakage.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I willproceed to de scribe its construction and the manner in which itsseveral joinings are made and secured.

In the construction of my improved lamp 1 use a brass foundation-piece,A A. (Shown in section in Fig. 1 and in plan in Fig. 2.) 0n the outsideof this foundation-piece 1 form three projections, a b c, to serve ascarriers for the external or inclosing tube, B B, to which carriers itis securely brazed. This inclosingtube is furnished with the usualmovable top piece, 0 O, which is contracted at D D to embrace the flameof the lamp, and it has a projecting carrier, E E, around it to sustainthe glass chimney. This inclosing-tube has also a detachable bottompiece, F F, made of finelyperforated metal, through which perforationsthe air passes to supply the flame, a portion passing up between theinclosing-tube B B and the foundation-piece A A to the exterior of theflame, while another portion passes up through the center of thetbundation-piece and within the wick-tube G to the interior of theflame. The toundation-piece A A has a deep recess formed in it from thetop downward, as

shown in section at H, Fig. 1, into which recess is fitted anannular-shaped piece of metal, K K, Fig. 2, having its ends turneddownward to the bottom of the recess, so as to form a space, L, Fig. 2,for the wick-rack M M and its pinion N. The fluid or oil to support theflame of the lamp enters the recess H through the projections b and 0upon the foundationpiece A A, which connects with the oil-tank by meansof the tubes (1 and d, and passes upward from thence to the wick-tube Gthrough a number of small holes made in the annular coveringplate K K,as shown in Fig. 2. In the center of the wick-tube or lamp is thespreader J, Fig. 1, supported by a small rod, g g, and sustained inplace by the rims h and It. This spreader causes the air passing upwardthrough the center of the wicktube to impinge theinterior surface of theflame.

The wick-tube G is composed of two concentric tubes, k 70 andl l, havingan annular space between them for the wick and oil. The exteriorportion, 70 k, of the wick-tube G fits into a rabbet formed in the topof the foundationpiece A A, as shown in Fig. 1, thus giving it a trulycentral and vertical position in the lamp, in which position it issecurely fixed by brazing. In like manner the interior portion, Z Z, ofsaid wick-tube G is fitted and secured in place, except that I prefer torun it down in the tbundation-piece A A till it touches the bottomledge, m m, upon which lower rim, h, of the spreader J is made to rest.

Upon the foundation-piece A A and between the oil-tubes d and d is awide projection, P, having in it a vertical slot or opening for thewick-rack M M to pass through, and in which also thereis'a smallchamber,L, for the pinion N to work in. This pinion is introduced to thechamberL by means of a circular opening from the outside, ofsomewhatlarger size, made in the projection P, into which circularopening is screwed the stuffing-box R, having a passage through its axisfor the spindle N, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1, and upon theouter end of said spindle is the hand-wheel S, by which the pinion N isrotated, so as to eleserting the stuffing-box It, by means of the screwT, formed upon its inner end, and for greater eonveniencein thisrespecttlie stuffingbox R is furnished on its outside with cants orsquares n n n, to which the wrench may be applied in turning it.Heretofore the stuffingbox was soldered to the wick-tube inside of theinclosing-tube, and previous to closing the parts the pinion N wasplaced inside, with the spindle turned outward, in consequence of whichmode of construction it was extremely difficult to repair any of theparts connected with the stuffing-box, and when the pinion had to berepaired or removed the lamp had to be opened up for that purpose,making a troublesome and expensive job; but by my improved modeofconstruction, as described, the making of repairs or renewals oftheparts is easily and quickly accomplished, and at the same time, owing tothe solidity of the parts, being formed of brass-castings, they are lessliable to get out of order than formerly.

WVhere the rack M M passes down through the foundation-piece A A, Iattach the flattened tube V to the part P by brazing it thereto. Thelower end of this tube is hermetically closed, so as to retain thefluid, as shown in Fig 1.

By the mode of construction herein described the several parts of thelamp are accurately and quickly put together and so easily and securelyheld in place that all the joinings can be thoroughly brazed at the sametime or at the same heat, and by means of such brazing making the lampcompletely proof against the action of the heat arising from the use ofkerosene-oil.

This improved mode of construction is of particular value and importancewhen applied to the lamps of locomotive head-lights, as the securityfrom destruction which it possesses would materially contribute to thesuccessful working of railroads. It is entirely by means of thehead-light the engineer of a moving train is enabled at night to see thecondition of the track before him. The destruction of the head-light isaccordingly a most serious disaster to such a train, rendering itsfarther progress extremely hazardous to all on board of it; but by theuse of my improved mode of construction such an occurrence could notarise from the causes that have heretofore led I to its production.

Having thus described my improvementsin the construction of lamps, I donot claim the ratchet and pinion, the foraminous shell, nor the variousother parts of the lam p taken separately; but

What I claim therein as my own invention, and desire to secure byLetters Patent, is

l. The foundation-piece, with its recess and covering-plate, incombination with the inclosing-tube and the wick, so arranged andconstructed that the parts may be conveniently brazed together insteadof being soldered, thereby rendering the lamp more safe and permanent,substantially as herein shown and described.

2. The wick-pinion and its spindle, in combination with the removablestuffiing-box, arranged and constructed substantially as described.

J AS. HADLEY.

Witnesses:

JOHN (JocHRANE, A. B. MALCOMSON, Jr.

